


Patience and Laughter

by Bart3nd3r



Category: Batman: The Telltale Series (Video Game)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-07-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:34:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24925492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bart3nd3r/pseuds/Bart3nd3r
Summary: John is a very twisted individual, but something just brought you to him. You know he’s gone through so much and you know how much he’s done to others, but you want to be willing to give him a chance.
Relationships: John Doe x Reader, John Doe/Reader
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22





	1. Intriguing is an Understatement

Life in Gotham was always the same. Dark alleyways painted in crime, or blood. Never a dull news feed, though. The majority that interested you included Batman. He was the hero from the shadows, had even saved you once or twice. He was a man of few words, but polite from what you could remember. Never in your life would you risk finding him or following him around, though. Your life was too chaotic without him in it. You figured that you’d keep yourself out of as much trouble as you could.

You pondered this over a stroll from a convenience store down the road from your apartment. It was a shithole, truth be told, but life just wasn’t pretty as you mustered up most of your money to afford college. Maybe if you looked through your credit history, you could see if you could cancel some subscriptions, if there were any left from your last purge. How long could you last with the food back home? Maybe skip breakfast every morning, not like you were hungry when you woke up. Your stomach griped at the idea. You turned up the music in your earphones, trying to drown out your frustration, unaware of the attention you caught.

A man grabbed your elbow and threw you into the alley he and his buddies were in. The pavement collided with your cheek and nearly smashed an earphone into your eardrum. You struggled up, yanking your headphones out and winced. You nearly felt the faintest trickle of liquid trace your ear.

“We got lucky tonight, huh?” One of the three men said. “Good girls stay inside at this hour.”

You felt one of them push your face against the pavement.

“What the hell?” Another rustled through your grocery bag. “There’s just an egg carton in here. You said this was the one who came out of the sex shop!”

“Ok, maybe I lost sight of that one.” The one pinning you to the ground said. “But c’mon. A pussy’s a pussy.”

“Oh fuck off.” You said.

The guy brought your head up and slammed it to the ground, making you lose your bearings. You barely made out what was happening around you. Out of instinct, you gripped the arm that was clamped around your hair and tore angry lines into his flesh. You made out a slight grimace of pain from the guy. He moved to swing at you but curled in agony and looked at his shoulder. You blinked, trying to comprehend what was going on. When the world finished spinning, you found that the men had run off, one dropping something as he turned the corner into the street. You picked up the object, finding the shape familiar, but the smile painted on it wasn’t. Laughter erupted from behind you.

“That was amazing!” A voice rang from the shadows. “This is the first time I ever saved someone! I’m pretty happy things went smoothly, but I kinda wish there was a more… well epic conclusion.”

“Huh?” You said. “Epic conclusion?”

“I guess this wouldn’t be fit to be my debut. Especially when you were in danger.” A shadow shifted in the corner. “Are you ok, by the way?”

“Uh, yeah. Would you mind coming into the light? I’d like to know who to thank.”

“Oh! Right! Right!” The man stepped out with his arms out. “Tada!”

You were taken aback. His skin was violently white, not a patch of blush on him. His hair was green and styled up into horns. He had on a purple trench coat with a fun printed vest underneath. But, his smile. It unnerved you. It looked inhuman to smile that wide. He gave off a powerful vibe of confidence that shuttered at your hesitance to his appearance.

“I’m sorry!” You said, raising your hands. “I just… didn’t think I’d be greeted with such a... such a smile.”

The man tilted his head. “Why not? World’s a better place when you smile.”

“I guess I just got used to Batman’s stoic nature after being saved. Just not so used to a smile around here.”

“He’s not so bad when you get to know him.” The stranger waved a hand. “On a rare occasion… he’ll actually smile!”

He started to laugh. His giggle burst into a high-pitched cackle. He glanced at you, smiling a bit awkwardly, and cleared his throat.

“I-I’m Joker.” He said. “Always here, at your service.”

You nodded and said your name. “I can’t guarantee I’ll be here. College is kinda a death trap. One I’m a lil locked in.”

Joker beamed at your sense of humor and began to laugh again. “So you’re funny huh?”

“Sometimes I try to be, sometimes I am. Whether or not I _mean_ to be, that’s a different story.”

Joker laughed again and put a hand on your shoulder. “You’re good. Real good. The people I’m around don’t normally crack the jokes at the same caliber as me.”

You were alarmed at his sudden intrusion into your personal space, but it became apparent to you that he was innocent somehow. There was no malice in his touch, just genuine desire for human contact, all wrapped up in a splitting smile. You found it endearing and let him lean on you. Joker looked up at you and let go.

“Sorry, sorry.” He said. “Uh, a friend of mine told me to remember personal space with others.”

“It’s ok.” You said. “I don’t mind, really.”

Joker giggled at your friendliness. It was a welcomed change from what he had been going through, save for Bruce. Although, it would be nice to have another good friend around. The thought of having you _and_ Bruce as his bestest friends sounded like a dream come true. Wait. But if you were found by the agency, and they saw you talking to him, would that put you in danger? Joker pouted at the thought. Those Agency bastards better not try to hurt you. He barely knows you, but you’re an innocent bystander with a great sense of humor, that meant you were worth protecting. But, those asshats really didn’t care about anyone, would they spare you? He really didn’t want to chance it.

You noticed Joker drift into thought. He looked worried. Should you say something?

“Hey, thanks again for saving me.” You said.

“Oh, well that’s what heroes do!” He said, returning to his proud stature. “We protect the innocent and keep Gotham safe.”

“How can I repay you?” 

“Huh?”

Joker definitely wasn’t expecting that. Should he accept something or is that exploitative? If he said no, would that be rude? But if he said yes, is that still exploitative? Even if it was to save your feelings? Hm. If only Bruce was here, or if he had a headset to talk to him. Yeah! Like a walkie-talkie! That way he and Bruce could always stay in contact, even if they weren’t too close. Joker pondered over your offer, scratching the back of his head, mumbling to himself.

Shit. You made the offer weird. In truth, you just wanted to talk to him more before he vanished off like Batman would. This Joker fella was a lot more talkative than Batman ever was and it drew you in. A part of you warned the rest of your body in a soft alarm to keep your distance, and yet, you wanted to get closer.

“How’s about some ice cream?” You said. “My treat.”

____Joker was a little hungry… and you did offer. “Alrighty lil lady. I know the perfect place!”_ _ _ _

____He wrapped an arm around you, took out a grappling gun, and flung the two of you onto the roof. The sudden movement upwards made you cling to him as the two of you landed on your feet. Joker looked around and pointed, giggling. He held onto you and dragged you towards his favorite ice cream shop downtown. He was just about to walk up with you when he remembered why he’s been stalking in shadows so much for the past few days._ _ _ _

____“Sorry, uh, I can’t come inside with you.” He said, letting go of you. “Kinda not in a great spot with the police right now.”_ _ _ _

____You kind of figured. Batman wasn’t well accepted in his first years. “That’s ok. What do you want?”_ _ _ _

____“Oh-ho ho! Guess my favorite flavor.”_ _ _ _

____“I’m not good at guessing. If you don’t tell me, I’m just gonna get a scoop of everything and you’ll just have to deal with it.”_ _ _ _

____Joker cackled again but covered his mouth. “Sorry, sorry, I should be more quiet. Just get me a sundae.”_ _ _ _

____He put you on edge with that laugh of his. It comforted you a bit knowing he tried to keep himself quiet though. You walked into the shop and winced at the fluorescent lights. The sudden assault on your pupils awoke your reason. Should you be so trusting with this guy? Something simmered deep within him, you could sense it just from his cackle, but at the same time, you wanted to hold your hand out to him. It’d be best to keep your distance. Especially if he was already attracting so much trouble that he didn’t feel comfortable going into a public space. You couldn’t help but feel guilt weigh your chest down as you emerged from the store with both his travel sundae and your double scoop in a cup. He had looked at you with such light in his eyes that it felt like a spotlight. That look was filled with such innocent awe, it lifted your lips into a smile. Joker waved his hand to you from the shadows and urged you to continue forward. Guilt and fear dragged your feet with every step, but the look in his eye kept you moving._ _ _ _

____“Cheers!” Joker devoured his sundae at your side as the two of you sat in the relative darkness of a nearby alley._ _ _ _

____You smiled at him and nibbled away at your ice cream. This was a little better than talking to him. His company gave you ease of mind, especially when you caught him staring a few times. Each time you caught eyes with him, he reacted differently, as though he wasn’t sure how to properly act in this scenario. A snort escaped you when he began to whistle “nonchalantly” at the last time being caught staring._ _ _ _

____“Is there something on my face?” You smirked._ _ _ _

____“No, it’s just your face.” Joker said._ _ _ _

____“Uh, thank you?”_ _ _ _

____“Oh! Sorry! Sorry! I didn’t mean it like that, I just… Eh, never mind. It’d come out as gibberish.”_ _ _ _

____You shrugged._ _ _ _

____The distant sound of sirens emanated from a few blocks away. The blaring alarm made Joker go stiff. He quickly swallowed the rest of his sundae before standing up._ _ _ _

____“I’ll pay you back. Promise.” Joker began to step back. “I just kinda have to disappear before those pigs get here.”_ _ _ _

____You stood up. “That’s ok. You should just be safe.”_ _ _ _

____He grinned at you and saluted you off before grappling away. You watched his form disappear over the rooftop, curious over this surprisingly swell encounter. It was too bad that he wasn’t in a good place to stay with you for longer. You had just grown to like that wide, thin-lipped smile of his._ _ _ _

____“Psst!” Joker called down from the rooftop._ _ _ _

____Startled, you focused on him again._ _ _ _

____“So… Would you let me repay you in… say a slushie? Next week?” Joker leaned over the edge so far, you could almost see his feet swinging behind him._ _ _ _

____“Uh,” you laughed at his childlike nature, “sure. That sounds great. About 9:45, here?”_ _ _ _

____He gave you an enthusiastic thumbs up as he quickly flung himself away and out of your sight again. You made your way out of the alleyway._ _ _ _

____“Hey!” Joker called again, shouting your name in a hushed tone._ _ _ _

____You rolled your eyes and looked back. “Yes, Joker?”_ _ _ _

____“Not to be a bother, but you did mean 9:45 P.M. and not A.M. right?” Joker said, hiding more of himself on the roof. “I don’t want you to show up and I’m not there cuz I got the time wrong.”_ _ _ _

____A burst of joy shook your belly as laughter floated up to Joker’s ears. Such an adorable and authentic sound. He made a mental note to try and get that out of you more._ _ _ _

____“P.M. ok.” You smirked. “Now, shoo, before someone sees you.”_ _ _ _

____“Right! Right!” Joker waved to you one last time and ran off._ _ _ _

____Your heart eased as you heard his footsteps scuffle away. As you made your way back home, you rediscovered your old bag of groceries. Most of the eggs were cracked and a candy bar was missing. Better than nothing. You tossed the broken eggs and waited happily for next week to arrive._ _ _ _


	2. Phoning a Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce helps John to see if you’re really worth the effort.

The news crashed your senses into a state of utter terror as you witnessed Joker cause mass mayhem and utter chaos in his wake. Reports said he killed at least three people, maybe six. And you were with him, alone for a long period of time. Maybe you just didn’t piss him off. Either way, the fact that he was capable of such cruelty terrified you. The logical side of you was relieved he was taken into custody. Better for you that you two didn’t meet up after all. But your compassion wrenched guilt into your chest. He really didn’t seem to mean any harm when you met him. Maybe you shouldn’t be so harsh… but it is hard to do so when there’s glaring evidence stacked against him blaring everywhere on the news. So you sat in your apartment, quietly contemplating every “what if” scenario of how things could have ended badly between the two of you.

John contemplated something similar in his cell. What did you think of him now? He dragged his palm over his face, letting his fingers trace over each feature as he closed his eyes in shame. You’d never want to see _him _again, that’s for sure. And why would you? You were a peaceful and sweet person - as far as he knew - what would possibly make you want to be around him? A murder. A psychopath. He didn’t have a friend in the world now, thanks to himself. John glanced at his lonely picture frame of himself and Batman. Guilt tore into his rib cage and bit at his heart. Bruce would definitely never want to see him again. John felt he didn’t have a choice. He would always be destined to end up here. In a mental hospital, whether it be here in Gotham or somewhere else in the world, he’d end up in a cell. Alone. All alone.__

__“Visitor for John Doe.” A guard called, opening the small window to let him see._ _

__Oh boy. Another police officer here to question him about what happened?_ _

__But, it wasn’t._ _

__“Bruce!” John scrambled to the window, verifying whether or not he was imagining things. “Y-You’re here!”_ _

__“Of course, John.” Bruce smiled. “I told you I wasn’t giving up on you.”_ _

__“B-But… even after everything? I tried to kill you.”_ _

__“Most of my friends have.” Bruce said passingly. “You’re the only one I’ve had that’s really had my back. Even when it was hard. I want to pay that back in full. I’m not leaving you behind.”_ _

__John’s heart burst into ashes and he was reborn into a new hopeful emotion. He began to cackle and threw himself at the door and pulled Bruce into a hug. Well, as close of a hug as he could get with a whole door separating them. John’s excited giggles simmered into small sobs._ _

__Two guards launched into action to pull the billionaire out of the two pale arms that barely fit through the rectangular window, but Bruce stopped them. With a single hand up, he told them to stand down as he patted John’s arms in comfort. Bruce was relieved to see John back to normal. Or as normal as he could be._ _

__As John let go, he wiped his eyes. “Thanks, Bruce… Sorry I tried to kill you.”_ _

__“Don’t worry about it. You’re not the first.” Bruce chuckled._ _

__“Yeah, yeah. Everyone’s after the big billionaire boy.”_ _

__John looked down and a ray of hope shined over his memory of you. Maybe if Bruce forgave him, maybe you…_ _

__“Something on your mind, John?” Bruce said._ _

__“Oh, nothing.” John said. “I just, I dunno, just thinking about some stuff.”_ _

__“Like what?”_ _

__John bit his lip and relaxed back on his cot. “Well… I guess it’s kinda private.”_ _

__Bruce scooted forward and waited._ _

__John grinned at his memory of you. “I… I met someone. Someone new. She’s funny and smart. She goes to college!”_ _

__Bruce nodded. He was worried. Bruce knew that John’s first girlfriend ended up being more crooked than anyone in Arkham at the time. So hearing John met someone that peaked his interest was a tad concerning. But not wanting to ruin his friend’s moment, Bruce stayed quiet and let John continue._ _

__“I saved her from some thugs. Then we had ice cream! And she was cracking jokes one after another like a whole bundle of firecrackers!” John giggled and slapped his knee._ _

__“Sounds like a catch.” Bruce said._ _

__“Yeah, but… we met last week. Before everything happened. I made a bad impression on Gotham and everyone in it. There’s no way she’d ever want to see me again.”_ _

__Bruce winced at John’s self-loathing. He wasn’t going to lie and say that things would blow over sooner or later or that you’d forget about it. Bruce wasn’t entirely sure of what to say to make John feel better._ _

__“And I asked her out on a date.” John said._ _

__“Oh wow.” Bruce sat up in a jolt of shock._ _

__“I know.” John held his head in his hands. “I wanted to see her again. And now I’m gonna have to miss it. But what’s the point? She’s probably terrified of me. She wouldn’t have gone even if I wasn’t locked up.”_ _

__“That’s definitely being stuck between a rock and a hard place.” Bruce said. “But you could have a chance.”_ _

__“How do you know that?”_ _

__“How do you know that she doesn’t want to see you again?”_ _

__John cackled and held his sides. “She’d have to be just as insane as you then. No sane person wants to be with an unstable psycho like me. Well I guess except for you.”_ _

__“Hey.” Bruce cocked an eyebrow. “Look, all I’m saying is not to give up.”_ _

__John looked confused._ _

__“We don’t know anything about this girl. Maybe she does want to see you but is being cautious because of the news. Just try not to shoot everything down before they take off.”_ _

__“Yeah, yeah.” John waved off Bruce._ _

__“Here, let’s test it. I’ll show up where the two of you were going to meet and I’ll tell you if she shows up there or not. Deal?”_ _

__John quirked an eyebrow at Bruce but split into a grin. “Oh-ho-ho, you drive a hard bargain, Bruce.”_ _

__“What should I do if I see her there?”_ _

__“Uh, tell me ASAP! Yeah. Don’t send her here. That’d be a little awkward.”_ _

__Bruce and John shook on it. And so, Bruce checked the spot John said the two of you would meet at on the day of the date. Hopefully this would bring John some closure. Either way, this would be good for John, but hopefully, things would go his way for once without imploding in a flurry of rash decisions and erratic emotions. Bruce sighed and looked to the sky, making sure the bat-signal wasn’t up as a figure approached from the distance. He glanced to see discreetly._ _

__It was you. John described you… scarily well. Bruce has little doubt that this was the girl John was ranting about, but he wanted to see what you would do on your own. So, he watched you as he enjoyed his coffee._ _

__You weren’t entirely sure what brought you there. Maybe it was that sick part of you that wanted a taste of adventure and to spice up your utterly repetitive life. Or maybe, it was to settle your nerves. Part of you was worried that if you hadn’t shown up, Joker would have found you anyways. The other part just wanted to see him again. Maybe be a little snarky with him, ask him what he does for a living or why his hair is dyed green. Whatever the true reason was, you ended up there, at the meeting point at 9:43 PM. A bit early, but just early enough to make your stomach churn and ripen._ _

__Would he be here? Should he be here if he is? What were you thinking? What would you even do if you saw him? Should you call the police? Should you have come?_ _

__“Excuse me.”_ _

__Fuck. Is that him?!_ _

__You turned and met with the polar opposite of what your date was: an average looking man. Something was faintly familiar about him._ _

__“Sorry.” You said reflexively._ _

__“It’s ok.” He smiled. “I’m Bruce.”_ _

__You said your name. Bruce shook your hand politely._ _

__“Nice to meet you.” Bruce said._ _

__Wait, Bruce…_ _

__“W-Wayne?” You said._ _

__“Yeah, that’s me.” Bruce said. “Sorry for being blunt, but did you meet Joker here?”_ _

__Oh no… was he going to turn you in for further questioning?! How’d he know? Is this a trap?_ _

__“Yeah…” You said. Better to be honest. “He wanted to meet here around this time. But with everything that’s happened, I’m not surprised he can’t make it.”_ _

__“John did want to see you.”_ _

__“John?” You looked at Bruce._ _

__“That’s Joker’s - uh - ‘real name.’ ” Bruce said. “It’s a long story.”_ _

__“I can imagine. How do you know John?”_ _

__“He’s a friend of mine. I came here to see if you came to meet him.”_ _

__“Yeah, not sure why I did though to be honest. I kind of figured he was incarcerated, but I came anyways.”_ _

__Bruce smirked. So you did want to see John. Maybe John’s luck would turn around after all._ _

__“What’re you smirking for?” You said. Your face seared red. You couldn’t help but be defensive. So what maybe you wanted to see John again? Despite him being a bit of a psychopath, John was kind of pleasant to be around. He had his own sense of charm. Maybe you were a bit out of your mind as well for wanting to see him despite the news surrounding him._ _

__“Nothing.” Bruce raised his hands defensively. “Just wanted to see if you wanted to see him again.”_ _

__What if you said no? Would he tell John?_ _

__“Don’t worry.” Bruce noticed your hesitation. “Just be honest with me.”_ _

__You sighed as you spoke. “Yes… and no. Yes because he was very sweet to me. No because of what he did to those people. I know I should probably listen to my reasonable side but I just want to find out myself. I’m a mess over it.”_ _

__“I understand.” Bruce nodded._ _

__A hard lump struggled to slide down your throat. What if this really was a trap? Would you be in danger?_ _

__“Look, I’m not going to sugar-coat anything for you.” Bruce said. “John is mentally unstable. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have feelings. He wanted to see you more than anything, but he’s almost convinced that you’d never want to see him again. I can help arrange for the two of you to meet, but I don’t want you to be forced into this. That’d break John.”_ _

__You were slightly offended that he was more concerned for John’s emotional health than your physical one, but you let him continue._ _

__“So, just answer me with a yes or no. Do you want to see John again?” Bruce said._ _

__Bruce’s actions flipped a switch in your brain. Friends can sometimes really show the true nature of someone if they’re the right kind. Bruce was being kind enough to let you off the hook, but cares enough about John to not let you fake any emotions with him. Something was truly special about John if Bruce went through all this trouble just to satiate John’s feelings for… you, you guessed. Your heart thrummed at the idea of John thinking about you in a sweet manner. Maybe, it couldn’t hurt to be around John._ _

__“Yes.” You said._ _

__A grin slid over Bruce’s lips. John’s luck was definitely changing for the better._ _


End file.
